Low-friction retractor



United States Patent 3,287,047 LOW-FRICTION RETRACTOR Fred J. Russell, 8635 Otis St., South Gate, Calif., and George B. Solovieif, San Clemente, Calif.; said Solovieff assiguor to said Russell Filed Jan. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 536,208 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) This is a continuation-in-part of patent applications Serial No. 145,133, filed October 16, 1961, and Serial No. 487,261, filed September 14, 1965.

The invention relates to door locks and has reference especially to that portion of the lock commonly identified as a retractor for the latch bolt and its relationship to portions of the lock which confine it. In still greater particular, the invention relates to a co-relationship between different kinds of materials in order to take advantage of new low-friction materials in certain strategic locations, while at the same time preserving in the lock the necessary ruggedness and dependability required of hardware of this kind.

The conventional arrangement of door locks of the kind here under consideration consists of a frame provid ing a chamber more or less at the mid-area of the lock in which spindles on opposite sides are mounted for rotation and within which is a retractor slide either made of formed sheet metal or some type of metal casting designed to be fastened to the tailpiece of a latch bolt assembly and to reciprocate by rotating retractor elements of the spindles. Under pressure exerted by the reciprocating elements, exterior portions of the retractor slide rub against interior portions of the frame as the frame guides the retractor slide during its movement. The frictional forces, of course, must be overcome by rotation of the spindles. A sufiicient clearance must be provided between the retractor slide and the surrounding frame so that the friction will not be too great. The clearances, however, must not be too free, since, otherwise, the operation of the lock will be too noisy or the lock will not operate properly. Problems therefore are inherently present in an all metal lock.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved retractor slide for a door lock which is partially constructed of low-friction material arranged in such fashion that ruggedness and durability of the parts are not sacrified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved retractor slide for a door lock, critical portions of which are of nonmctallic, low-friction material where there is movement against either the surrounding frame or with relation to actuation by the spindles, so that a maximum degree of advantage will be taken of the lowfriction characteristics of the slide.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved retractor slide for a door lock wherein important portions are constructed of nonmetallic, lowfriction material arranged in such fashion as to provide multiple advantages of low-friction character, in that exposed portions of the slide in those areas which are prone to engage metallic surfaces all present low-friction engaging areas partly to ease the guiding relationship of the slide in its frame, partly to minimize the effect of friction when the spindle is moved against it, partly to minimize the frictional resistance of other portions of the slide where it engages with the surrounding frame, and further, to minimize Wear of the retractor and all lock parts which associate with the retractor, but wherein other portions are of metal to minimize gouging by complementary metal parts;

Also included among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved multiple piece retractor slide for a door lock, wherein certain interior parts and, on

3,287,047 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 "ice occasion, parts requiring appreciable tensile strength, continue to be constructed of metal, but wherein nonmetallic low-friction material is strategically joined with the metal portions, so that significant frictionally engaging surfaces of the slide consistof the low-friction material.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the retractor slide alone with all parts assembled.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the retractor slide of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational exploded view.

FIGURE 4 is a partially exploded end elevational view on the line 4--4'of FIGURE 1.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration, it will be assumed that portions of the lock mechanism with which it is associated are all sub- 'stant-ially standard. In this instance, a composite slide indicated generally by the reference character 10 is provided with upper and lower shoes 11 and 12 joined respectively to a metal body or skeleton 13.

The metal body or skeleton 13 may be described as consisting of opposite spaced side walls 15 and 16 laterally interconnected above the middle by a web 17 and below the middle by a web 18. The web 17 has a downwardly extending free end 19 and the web 18 an upwardly extending free end 20. These free ends 19 and 20 are vertically spaced from one another in positions facing each other for ultimate engagement with an appropriate conventional latch bolt assembly (not shown).

The side walls 15 and 16 are complementary relative to each other. It is sufiicient that the midportions of these walls 15 and 16 extend for only a fraction of the over-all length of the skeleton 13. The side wall 15, for example, has an upper longitudinal edge portion 21 and a lower longitudinal edge portion 22. These longitudinal edge portions 21 and 22 are located laterally inwardly with respect to a relatively fiat midportion 23. Similarly, on the opposite side wall 16 there are respective upper and lower longitudinal edge portions 24 and 25 located laterally inwardly relative to a midportion 26.

The upper longitudinal edge portion 21, for example, has a rear section 27, an intermediate section 28, and a front section 29. There is a rearwardly facing shoulder 30 on the front section 29, a forward facing shoulder 31 on the intermediate section 2 8, and another forward facing shoulder 32 on the rear section 27. The upper longitudinal edge portion 24 of the side wall 16 is similarly provided.

The lower longitudinal edge portion 22 of the side wall 15 consists of a rear section 33, an inter-mediate section 34 and a front section 35. The rearwardly facing shoulder 36 on the front section 35 is positioned opposite from a forwardly facing shoulder 37 on the intermediate sect-ion 34, and another forwardly facing shoulder 38 on the rear section 33. The lower longitudinal edge portion 25 of the opposite side wall 16 is similarly provided.

To complete the side wall 15, there is provided a retractor guide or lug 40 tilted slightly forward, the guide having a forwardly facing arcuate edge 41 and a rear edge 42. A retractor guide or lug 43 on the lower longitudinal edge portion 22 has a forwardly facing arcuate edge 44 and a rear edge 45.

The side wall 16 is similarly provided with appropriately located upper and lower retract-or guides 46 and 47.

The upper shoe 11 is preferably made of a low-friction synthetic plastic resin material of one of the currently available commercial varieties and is adapted to fit over the upper longitudinal edge portions of the respective side walls and 16. On the upper shoe 11 is an upwardly or vertically outwardly facing frame engaging surface 50 running substantially the full length of the upper shoe 11. To hold the upper shoe 11 in place, outer flanges 51 and 52 extend downwardly from the frame engaging surface 50 and overlie rear parts of the respective upper longitudinal edge portions 21 and 24. The outer surface 53 of the flange 51 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the midportion 23. The outer surface 54 of the outer flange 52 is approximately even with the outer surface of the midportion 26. A web 55 interconnects the flanges 51 and 52 adjacent the rear and fits between inside surfaces of the upper longitudinal edge portions 21 and 24.

Located relatively forwardly is a second flange 56 on one side of the uper shoe 11 and a similar second flange on the oposite side. The second flange 56 has a stepped portion 58. The stepped portion 58 lies, when assembled, inside the intermediate section 28 and the main body of the second flange 56 is interposed between the rearwardly facig shoulder 30 and the forwardly facing shoulder 31. A platform 59 overlies the upper part of the front section 29. An outer face 60 of the second flange 56 is substantially flush with the outside face of the intermediate section 28, thus leaving the arcuate edge 41 exposed. On the opposite side of the shoe 11, similar structure interfits with similar appropriate portions of the upper longitudinal edge portion 24.

In the interest of completeness, the lower shoe 12 may be described as provided with outer flanges 61 and 62 having respective surfaces 63 and 64, the outer flanges 61 and 62 being interconnected by means of a web 65. A second flange 66 has a stepped portion 68 and a platform 69, the platform 69 overlying the front section 35. An outer face '70 of the second flange 66 is made so as to be substantially flush with the outer face of the lower longitudinal edge portion 22. The lower shoe 12 interfits with the lower part of the skeleton 13 in a manner similar to the fitting of the upper shoe 11 on the upper side.

In use, as previously noted, the free end 19 and are adapted to engage a latch assembly. For moving the retractor from left to right, as viewed in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the conventional rollbacks on the spindle, which are radially extending metal elements, engage against one or another of the arcuate edges 41, 44 on one side of the device, namely the side which includes the side wall 15. In this way, the composite slide 10 may be forced in a direction from left to right. As it slides, surfaces 53 and 63 of the respective upper and lower shoes 11 and 12 are adapted to slide against complementary inwardly facing portions of the conventional frame. At the same time, surfaces 54 and 64 on opposite respective sides of the upper and lower shoes 11 and 12 are adapted to slidibly bear against the opposite inwardly facing part of the frame. Hence, all bearing surfaces of the composite slide 10, where they engage inside faces of the respective frame, are a synthetic plastic resin material, namely a low-friction material having surfaces like the frame engaging surface 50 of the upper shoe 11 and a corresponding frame engaging surface 71 of the lower shoe 12. This promotes the ease of operation of the composite slide 10 without need for the employment of any lubricant. At the same time, where any gouging, or knifing-in is likely to take place, as, for example, where appropriate, conventional rollbacks on the spindle engage and slide over the arcuate edges of the retractor guides or lugs, the contact is a metal-to-metal contact and hence, since the synthetic plastic resin material is kept clear .of the lugs at the respective arcuate edges, the metal-to-metal wearing engagement takes place and provides the device with a long operating life.

Inasmuch as the free ends 19 and 20 are parts of the metal skeleton 13, they have adequatetensile strength where they are adapted to draw upon the latch bolt assembly every time the latch bolt is to be manipulated.

Accordingly, by the composite structure herein described, the metal core provides adequate strength and wear resistant bearing surfaces where metal is appropriate. The sliding port-ions of the composite slide 10 have all been made of a low-friction material, interlocked with the metal skeleton 13, but wherein all exposed surfaces where a sliding engagement is to take place are surfaces of the plastic material. There has accordingly been provided a composite slide of different kinds of material wherein the particular characteristics of the. materials are taken advantage of and combined together so that the resulting product is particularly efiicient as well as rugged.

and strong in the areas needed.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims, so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is: V

1. A composite reactor :for use with a conventional spindle having rotationally Ifaoing driving areas thereon, a conventional frame having interior guide surfaces and a conventional latch bolt assembly cooperable therewith, said retractor comprising a metal skeleton having engaging means at the forward end of said retractor adapted to engage said latch bolt assern'bly, said skeleton including opposite spaced side walls and upper and lowerlongitudinal edge portions on each of said side walls, upper and lower retractor guides on each side wall forming part of said metal skeleton, each said guide comprising a lug intermediate the forward and rear end of the respective longitudinal edge portion, each resmctive l-ug having an;

edge facing forward for engagement with said driving area and having a laterally outwardly facing side face,

and a pair of upper and lower shoes of lowrfrict-ion syn thetic plastic resin material, said shoes having an interlocked engagement with respective upper and lower portions of said metal skeleton, each said shoe having a vertically outwardly facing frame engaging surface between opposite sides and lateral frame engaging side plates locate-d rearward-1y of the respective lug, each said side plate having the exposed side surface extending laterally outwardly at least as far as the adjacent side face of the respective lug.

2. A composite retractor for use with a conventional spindle having rotationally facing driving areas thereon,

a conventional frame having interior guide surfaces and a conventional latch bolt assembly cooperable therewith,

said retractor comprising a metal skeleton including opposite spaced side walls, upper and lower portions of said skeleton having free ends extending toward each other and spaced from 'each other for ultimate engagement with and lower shoes of low-friction synthetic plastic resin ma-.

terial, said shoes being adapted to fit over respective upper and lower horizontal edge portions of said metal skeleton, each said shoe having a vertically outwardly facing frame engaging surface between opposite sides contin-uous between forward and rear ends, retention plates on opposite lateral sides located forwardly and inwardly of the edge of the respective lug, and lateral frame engaging I side plates located rearwardly of the respective lug, each said side plate having the exposed side surface extending laterally outwardly at least as far as the adjacent side face of the respective lug.

3. A composite retractor for use with a conventional spindle 'having rotationally facing driving areas thereon, a conventional vframe having interior guide surfaces and a conventional latch bolt assembly cooperable therewith, said retractor com-prising a metal skeleton including opposite spaced side walls, upper and lower longitudinal edge portions of each of said side walls being located relatively inwardly and a midportion between said edge portions being located relatively outwardly, adjacent forward ends of said upper edge portions and adjacent the forward ends of said lower edge portions each having a connecting we'b, said webs having free ends extending toward each other and spaced from each other for ultimate engagement with said latch bolt assembly, upper and lower retractor guides forming part of said metal skeleton on each side wall, each said guide comprising a lug intermediate the forward and rear end of the respective longitudinal edge portion, each said lug having an edge facing forward for engagement with said driving areas and having a laterally outwardly facing side face, and a pair of upper and lower shoes of low-friction synthetic plastic resin material, said shoes being adapted to fit over respective upper and lower horizontal edge portions of said metal skeleton, each said shoe having a vertically outwardly facing frame engaging surface between opposite sides continuous between forward and rear ends, retention plates on opposite lateral sides located forwardly and inwardly of the edge of the respective lug, and lateral frame engaging side plates located rearwardly of the respective lug, each said side plate having the expose-d side surface extending laterally outwardly at least as far as the adjacent side face of the respective lug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,946,614 7/1960 Russell. 2,953,405 9/ 1960 Kubik 292-1'69 2,959,439 11/1960 Russell et al 2921 3,024,502 3/1-962 Howard 16-93 X 3,112,944 12/ 1963 Adler 292-169 3,128,115 4/ 1964 Patriquin et al.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

R. E. MOORE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMPOSITE REACTOR FOR USE WITH A CONVENTIONAL SPINDLE HAVING ROTATIONALLY FACING DRIVING AREAS THEREON, A CONVENTIONAL FRAME HAVING INTERIOR GUIDE SURFACES AND A CONVENTIONAL LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY COOPERABLE THEREWITH, SAID RETRACTOR COMPRISING A METAL SKELETON HAVING ENGAGING MEANS AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID RETRACTOR ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY, SAID SKELETON INCLUDING OPPOSITE SPACED SIDE WALLS AND UPPER AND LOWER LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS ON EACH OF SIDE WALL FORMING PART AND LOWER RETRACTOR GUIDES ON EACH SIDE WALL FORMING PART OF SAID METAL SKELETON, EACH SAID GUIDE COMPRISING A LUG INTERMEDIATE THE FORWARD AND REAR END OF THE RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION, EACH RESPECTIVE LUG HAVING AN EDGE FACING FORWARD FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVING AREA AND HAVING A LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FACING SIDE FACE, AND A PAIR OF UPPER AND LOWER SHOES HAVING AN INTERTHETIC PLASTIC RESIN MATERIAL, SAID SHOES HAVING AN INTERLOCKED ENGAGEMENT WITH RESPECTIVE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID METAL SKELETON, EACH SAID SHOE HAVING A VERTICALLY OUTWARDLY FACING FRAME ENGAGING SURFACE BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES AND LATERAL FRAME ENGAGING SIDE PLATES LOCATED REARWARDLY OF THE RESPECTIVE LUG, EACH SAID SIDE PLATE HAVING THE EXPOSED SIDE SURFACE EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE ADJACENT SIDE FACE OF THE RESPECTIVE LUG. 